0711, 3228 FRANCE (Grand Est) - Strasbourg, Grande-Île and Neustadt (UNESCO WHS)

0711 Strasbourg - Little France; The covered bridges; Boating on the Ill 

Posted on 30.06.2013, 30.12.2017
Located on the Ill River, close to the border with Germany, actually historically German-speaking, as the entire Alsace, Strasbourg was built on the site of an ancient Celtic settlement (Argentorate), where Romans established a military outpost (Argentoratum). The town was occupied successively by Alemanni, Huns and Franks, and in the 9th century it was already known as Strazburg (the town at the crossing of roads). As major commercial centre, it came under control of the Holy Roman Empire in 923, in 1262 became an Imperial Free City, in 1681 was annexed by France, in 1871 by the German Empire, and after WWI reverted back of France.

3228 Strasbourg - Little France

Strasbourg's historic city centre, the Grande Île (Grand Island), surrounded by two arms of the River Ill, was designated a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1988, the first time such an honour was placed on an entire city centre. The cathedral, the four ancient churches and the Palais Rohan - former residence of the prince-bishops - form a district that is characteristic of a medieval town and illustrates town's evolution between 15th and 18th centuries, being simultaneously the eastward vector of the Gothic art movement.

2824 FRANCE (Grand Est) - Strasbourg Fair

Located on the River Rhine, Strasbourg, the town at the crossroads, has always occupied a strategic position in Europe. Its early history consists of a long conflict between its bishop and its citizens, ended with the victory of the citizens in Battle of Oberhausbergen (1262), when King Philip of Swabia granted the city the status of an Imperial Free City. A revolution in 1332 resulted in a broad-based city government with participation of the guilds, and Strasbourg declared itself a free republic. Four years later, in 1336, Strasbourg held its first trade fair, a tradition still present to this day, each year, yearly in September.

2821 FRANCE (Grand Est) - Tarte aux myrtilles

In France, the tarte aux myrtilles (the bilberry pie) or the tarte aux bleuets (the blueberry pie) is a seasonal dessert, in particular in mountainous areas where blueberries grow. In the Vosges Mountains it is called tarte aux brimbelles, and is the favorite dessert of the hostel farms. It is cooked at home as well as by professional pastry chefs and served at home and in the restaurant. It is available ready to use in bakeries, pastry shops and supermarkets. It is also a traditional dish in Finland, United States and Canada. Blueberry pie made with wild Maine blueberries is the official state dessert of the U.S. state of Maine.

2570 FRANCE (Grand Est) - Alsace

Alsace is a cultural and historical region located on France's eastern border and on the west bank of the upper Rhine adjacent to Germany and Switzerland. The historical language of Alsace is Alsatian, a Germanic (mainly Alemannic) dialect also spoken across the Rhine, but today most Alsatians primarily speak French. It is an important wine-producing région, and also the main beer-producing region of France. The economic and cultural capital as well as largest city of Alsace is Strasbourg, the seat of several international organizations and bodies.

2497 FRANCE (Grand Est) - Lorraine

Lorraine is a cultural and historical region in north-eastern France, which has borders with three other countries: Belgium (Wallonia), Luxembourg, and Germany (Saarland, Rhineland-Palatinate). Its location led to it being a paramount strategic asset as the crossroads of four nations. This, along with its political alliances, marriage alliances, and the ability over the centuries to choose sides between East and West, gave it a tremendously powerful and important role in transforming all of European history.

2459 FRANCE (Grand Est) - The Route of the Fortifications

 

Located at the crossroads of Germanic world and the Latin world, the Ardennes, named after the Celtic word for deep forest, is dotted with the witnesses of a tumultuous and fascinating history. It is hard to believe that these benign landscapes of wooded hills, looped by the Meuse and Semoy rivers, has seen so many bloody battles down the centuries. The Route of the Fortifications follows the trade routes from the Middle Ages, through places where not rarely was played the fate of Europe.

2005 FRANCE (Grand Est) - Jonquille under the snow of the Vosges Mountains

 

Narcissus pseudonarcissus, commonly known as wild daffodil or Lent lily, is a plant species in the genus narcissus bulb and family Amaryllidaceae. It has pale yellow flowers, with a darker central trumpet, and is the most common narcissus in Europe. Flowering occurs from March to May (it depends on the geographical area and the local ecotype). During the spring season often appears in large colonies in the meadows and forests. In France is considered relatively common in almost all the country, until 2000m altitude.

1958 FRANCE (Grand Est) - Munster cheese at the window of a farm in Vosges

Located in eastern France, near its border with Germany, Vosges are a range of low mountains which forms the western boundary of the Upper Rhine Plain. As in most mountain regions, the animal breeding, is a basic occupation in Vosges. There is even a breed of cattle native of this mountains, exceptionally healthy, fertile and long-lived. Originally a working breed, was transformed into a dairy type. The origin of the breed traces back to the 17th century, when Swedish soldiers brought Scandinavian cattle into the region after the Thirty Years War.

1929 FRANCE (Grand Est) - Lac de Retournemer

 

Located near the better known Lac de Longemer, on the river Vologne (a tributary of the Moselle River), which flows through the both lakes, in the heart of the Vosges Mountains, Lac de Retournemer was created by a glacier. Even if has only 320m wide, 250m long and a deep of 11.5m, it is renowned for its beauty. Its name refers to "retourner" (return), because in former times the waggoners had sometimes to return, because they could not crest the Col de la Schlucht (1,139m), a mountain pass in the Vosges. It is a privately owned lake, so swimming or bathing is not allowed.

0334 FRANCE (Grand Est) - Notre-Dame de Reims (UNESCO WHS)

Hardly can find a building deeper and longer related to the French monarchy as Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Reims (Cathedral of Our Lady of Rheims), which celebrated last year the 800th anniversary. It was erected to a site of an older church, destroyed by a fire in 1211, which was built on its turn on the place of the basilica where Clovis, the first King of the Franks, was baptized by Saint Remi, bishop of Reims, in 496 AD. Before that, on the site was some Roman baths. The present Reims Cathedral was completed by the end of the 13th century, with the west front added in the 14th century, but based on 13th century designs. Along with the cathedrals of Chartres and Amiens, Reims is a member of the illustrious triad of "High Gothic" or "Classical" French cathedrals built in the 13th century.

0149 FRANCE (Grand Est) - Place Stanislas, Place de la Carrière and Place d'Alliance in Nancy - Opéra national de Lorraine (UNESCO WHS)

 

Capital city of Lorraine (region disputed over time, along with Alsace, by the French and German), Nancy has a rich history, as the ducal city between 13th and 18th centuries, capital of an independent state until 1766, border city between 1871 and 1914, and the center of Art Nouveau in the late 19th century. The old centre dates from the Middle Ages to the 18th century, the cathedral of Nancy, the Triumphal Arch and the Place de la Carriere being fine examples of 18th century architecture. The École de Nancy (a group of artists and architects founded by Émile Gallé, which worked in the Art Nouveau style at the end of the 19th century and the early 20th century), has turned the city in a centre of art and architecture that rivaled Paris, bringing him the nickname Capitale de l'Est.